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Frequently Asked Questions

General Site Information
Technical Questions
I’m new! Now what? (Newbie Information)
Member Features (including Reviewing)
Submitting, Editing and Deleting Fics
More In-depth Site Info
Submission Rules

I. General Site Information “Couldn’t make us a cup o’ tea, could yeh?"*

What is Sycophant Hex?
Sycophant Hex (also known as ‘SH’) is a site for quality fanfiction and fanart for adults of all ages. Because of new developments in laws concerning the protection of children online, our site does not allow membership of anyone under the age of 18. Therefore, children may not post nor read stories here.

Why is this site called 'Sycophant Hex'?
Sycophant Hex was created to welcome all writers of quality fiction regardless of their background or connections---and to basically cast some very tongue-in-cheek hexes on any sycophants and their would-be author-idols.

Do I have to register or pay to use this archive?
You do not have to register to read any story between C (G) and B (PG-13). As for paying to use the archive, no, using any archive under Sycophant Hex is always free. However, we cheerfully accept donations, as running an archive like this is expensive.

How can I donate?
Information about Donations is on the homepage at www.sycophanthex.com under the button link “Support SH". You can donate without revealing any private information regarding your personal or financial identity to anyone at SH.

Where can I find the Sycophant Hex Terms of Service?
There is a link to our Terms of Service on our Help page, and also on the bottom of every Sycophant Hex page.

Do I have to register separately for the archive, gallery, and for the forums?
Yes, the archive, art gallery, and the forums are separate programs that require registration individually.

II. Technical Questions“This boy – knows nothin’ about anything?"*

Do I have to register to use this archive?
No, you don’t need to register to have general access. However, you must register to access stories with more ‘adult’ content and to access submission features.

I'm new and confused and don't know what to do! Help!
We suggest beginning by reviewing the FAQs, registering for access to all stories and then checking out some of our month’s Featured Fics.

Help! I lost my password!
Don't panic! While your password cannot be retrieved, it can be reset. To do this go to the login page and click Lost Password or go to the homepage and click on Lost Password under the Member Login box. Follow the instructions and you should be back online in no time.

How can I change the information in my profile?
Log in, click on Account and then click on Edit My Profile. From there, you can edit your profile.

I registered in the past but cannot log in now!
The most likely reasons for this are:
• you entered an incorrect username or password (check the email you were sent when you first registered);
• the administrator has deleted your account for some reason;
• OR, when SH combined all our archives into one Mage archive, only accounts with posted stories were moved to the new archive. If this is the case, please try registering again.

Can I change my username?
Eventually, yes. This feature is not currently available, but once it is, we will announce it. Name changes must go through the Administrators.

How do I change my settings?
Log in, click on Account and then click on Edit My Preferences. From there, you can edit your settings and preferences. (To edit you profile, click on Edit My Profile.)

How do I get a picture (avatar) in my profile?
Log in, click on Account and then click on Edit My Profile. From there, you can add a picture to your profile.

Does this site use cookies?
Yes. Pages with cookies load more quickly and enable users to access their accounts with less effort. You increase the number of cookies downloaded to your computer by choosing the 'Remember Me' function when logging in, by opening art links in stories, and by using our art gallery, Illusions, and our Forums.

How do I clear my cookies?
For Internet Explorer, follow these instructions:
- On the Tools menu, click on Internet Options; then in the Temporary Internet Files area, click Delete Cookies.

For Firefox, follow these instructions:
- Click on Tools then Options. Select the Privacy tab, then the Cookies tab; and then click the Clear Cookies Now button.

III. Newbie Information“Yeh don’ know what yeh are?" *

What are "ships", “canon" and “fanon"?
Ships are established pairings or character associations that form the basis of a story idea. Some of the main ships in the HP universe are “Snarry" (Snape/Harry, a standard ‘slash’ pairing); SS/HG (Snape/Hermione, a standard illicit relationship pairing---think “Don’t Stand so Close to Me" by the Police); and H/Hr (Harry/Hermione, a standard, alternative ‘het’ pairing). “Ships" may be supported to some degree (a little or a lot) in canon (such as Tonks/Lupin, Ron/Hermione, James/Lilly); established to some degree in fanon; or may be completely inventive within the imagination of fans and authors. With careful categorization, all are welcome at Sycophant Hex.

Canon is a term used to refer to fanfiction ideas that come directly from the books and/or movies, which form the basis of the fanfiction world. Canon is also sometimes believed to include extra ‘non-series’ information from the author, such as additional publications or interviews.

Fanon is a term used to refer to ideas and characters that come from fans rather than the author, but which are used often enough to have become recognizable to regular readers.

How do I write a fanfic?
We have several essays on this topic posted on our forums. Our primary suggestions are to strive for honest originality in your writing (absolutely no plagiarism is tolerated at SH), and to always proofread, preferably with a second set of eyes (See info on ‘Beta Reader’.)

Why are submissions moderated?
The submissions are moderated to help enable SH to maintain its reputation for excellence and diversity in the world of fanfiction.

What do I do if I have a complaint about a Sycophant Hex administrator or moderator?
If possible, contact the person directly. If this is not possible, or if satisfactory resolution is not obtained, contact Metamuse (webmistress) or Estrilda (deputy mistress).

How can I contact the authors?
There are several ways to contact an author. An email can be sent, or a private message can be sent, as long as you are a registered member. However, if the communication involves praise or constructive criticism for a particular story, we prefer that readers use the review function and leave a publicly accessible review. Please note that abuse of the review function (flames or harassment)---which includes the ‘Email Author’ or ‘Private Message’ functions---is grounds for the immediate revocation of SH member status and the possible ban of the user and/or the computer used due to the harassment of an SH author.

How does the rating system work?
Sycophant Hex administration has made its own unique rating system to avoid any possible problems with using a more standard rating system that belongs to a specific organization that may have copyright entitlements to the system (i.e., MPAA standards.)

Something's not working right. What do I do?
Contact the Help Desk. To submit a Help Desk ticket, go to the top of the Help page.

I entered my user name and password, clicked Submit and the page just reloaded. Why?
This is probably caused by your browser settings. For the Internet Explorer browser (the common browser for Windows users), go to the Tools on the main menu; go down to Internet Options and click on it. Find the Privacy tab and click on it. Set the bar to 'Low' to allow you to log in. Once logged on, you can reset the Privacy bar to whatever you want (as long as you don't clear out your history/cookies.) Adding http://www.sycophanthex.com to 'allowed' websites under Privacy > Sites will also help if your system has downloaded the SP2 for IE.

What browsers does this site support?
Mage, the archiving program for stories, has been tested on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. The Illusions art gallery uses Coppermine, and the community forums use phpBB. To find out the compatibility of each program, please visit their respective websites.

IV. Member Features and Reviewing“I reckon it’s about time yeh read yer letter." *

How can I get notification for an updated chapter, or an author posting a new story?
Email notification is available for registered members under the feature of Owl Posts. To add a story to your list (that is, to receive emails on an updated chapter), go to the story and click on Owl Posts. To add an author to your list (that is, to receive emails for a new story they submit) go to the author’s profile and click on Request Owl Posts.

The font size is too small; how do I change it?
Use the font resizer and changer that is available on all pages of the archive.

I am trying to read a higher-rated story but SH requires me to log in. I don't have an account. How can I read the story without one?
You can’t. We limit access to higher-rated stories to ensure the general audience does not have access unless they have certified during registration that they are old enough for the content shown.

How do I review a story or chapter?
Read the chapter. At the end of the chapter there will be a box available for reviews. However, if you are registered member and previously reviewed that chapter, you will not be able to review it again.

How can I search for fics?
Click on Search on the menu.

How can I find all of an author's fics?
Click on Members and find the author’s file. There it will list all the stories by that author on our archive.

Can I search the forums?
Yes, but you must be on the forums to facilitate that feature.

Can I send e-mail to other members of this forum?
Yes, or you can send private messages, but you must be on the forums to facilitate that feature.

What is Private Messaging?
Private Messaging is an in-house communication system that you can utilize on our archives and forums.

How do I use the Member List?
Click on Members and then pick your preference: View Authors Only, View All Members, or View the Top 50 Authors. After that, select the letter of the alphabet you would like to view of the members list you chose.

How do I add a story or author to my Favorites?
View the story you want to add, or the author’s profile. There will be an option saying [Add to Favorite Authors] or [Add to Favorite Stories].

What is ‘My Library’? My Library is a feature that allows a member to create a list of stories they are currently reading, or a list of stories they want to read in the future.

How do I add stories to ‘My Library’?
Please select the options [Add Currently Reading | Add To Be Read], which are available on each story.

What is the ‘Recommend’ button on the top of the story page?
The Recommend button is a feature to allow other members to know you recommend the story. Your name is not attached to it as it is anonymous; but if you recommend it, the quantity of recommendations will show to other members.

What is the ‘Report’ on top of the story page?
SH is known for high quality stories---and we want to keep this reputation. However, please keep in mind that our hard-working Admins are only human, and thus they may understandably miss a story that has fallen through our established screening process. If this should occur, please let us know if you feel a story is not to the standards of SH. However, when you do this, please check the date of publication and updates. Older stories can have lower quality then we currently have; SH standards have risen steadily over the last two years.

How do I submit a story?
After carefully reading the ‘Submission Rules’, do this: Log in, then click on the 'Add New Story' link. From there, choose a Category (or Categories) that are appropriate for the story; then fill out the additional required information.

What are the Submission Rules?
The Submission Rules are listed in several places around Sycophant Hex. Specifically, they can be viewed on the Help page. Before uploading a story, an author must agree to the Submission Rules.

What type of files do you accept?
We accept *.html, *.txt, and *.doc files. Please be aware though, there will be lots of formatting to do if you upload a *.doc file because all formatting is lost when uploading.

Can I use HTML in my story?
Yes, you may use HTML in your story.

Do you accept adult-only submissions?
Yes, our libraries include submissions that range from ‘conservative’ stories appropriate for everyone, to ‘lascivious’ stories which contain explicit sexual material. However, all stories in the libraries are intended only for adults to read. We do not knowingly accept any stories from child authors.

How many chapters should I upload at one time?
We only allow five submissions at a time in the queues per author.

My story is completed. How do I tell the archive that?
Log in click on ‘Manage My Stories' and edit the ‘Story Status’ to ‘Completed’.

I uploaded a story/chapter and it's not appearing. Now what?
While Sycophant Hex has numerous Admins placed around the world and in different time zones, they have real life obligations and other online hobbies, and they all volunteer their time. In other words, please be patient. We endeavor to validate your story as soon as realistically possible. Please allow at least seven (7) days for validation of a chapter. If you do not see your story validated or have not seen a rejection letter within this time, please email us or submit a Help Desk ticket so we may assess your story as soon as possible.

What do ‘in queue’ and ‘corrections needed’ mean in Queue Status? In queue means that your story is in queue to be processed by the Admins. Corrections needed means the story has been processed but there are corrections needed to the story.

How will I know if my submission is approved or rejected?
If your submission is approved, you will receive an automatic approval email from Mage, and the story will be posted to the archive. If your submission is rejected, you will receive an email from the Admins indicating as to why the story was not accepted.

My story was rejected. Why?
Any story rejected will state a reason or give a list of possible reasons for rejection.

My story is already posted. How do I change something within it?
Log in, then click on Manage My Stories. You can continue from there, or you can go view your story, and then click on Edit near the title.

How can I let people know when I've updated my fic?
Updated fics will be listed on the ‘Recently Added’ List. You are also welcome to post information on our forums or various LiveJournals or fan fiction sites. The members of the site may also sign up to receive an automatic email informing them of your recent update.

What can I do to improve my chances of my fic being accepted?
Read our submission rules; proofread your fic carefully; and then have the story edited/proofread by a qualified beta reader.

Why do you keep saying I should have my fic beta’d?
A beta reader is a second set of eyes proofreading a document. Unfortunately, unlike a few smaller moderated sites, SH does not have the staff to provide this service for all submissions. SH admins serve more as last-resort editors than beta readers. We evaluate the content and mechanics of all submissions and either post them to the libraries or provide specific feedback concerning why a submission does not qualify for posting.

How do I know what rating to choose?
Use your best judgment---but if you are unsure, submit the story as is, and the Admins will do their best to help you. You are also welcome to ask the administrators in the ‘Note to Admins’ when uploading a story.

My validated story is missing? What happened?
There are two valid reasons a story could be missing.

1) Validation Withdrawal: When a story is validated, it is subject to removal if the quality is questioned by any other Admin. Several Admins will determine if the story does not meet SH quality, only with the permission of Metamuse (webmistress) and Estrilda (deputy mistress) may a story be pulled from the archive. An email will always be sent to the author informing of this action. This policy is used for stories after July 2004.

2) Quality Review Panel: The SH Quality Review Panel exists to review works that are referred by the public as being below standard. There are five (5) members to this review panel, which will make an independent decision as to the future of a story on site. If anyone notices a story that is questionable please submit an email to us, so we can start the process of having it reviewed. An email will always be sent to the author.

If your story has disappeared and you have not received an email from an Admin, please submit a Helpdesk Ticket to have the matter looked into.

Can I have an image in my story?
Yes. You may use an image off site as long as it fits within the story and is a max of 400x400 pixels. Or you may utilize the Manage Images feature the all members are allowed.

What is a Validated Author? How do I become one?
A validated author is an author who has observably shown personal dedication to quality, plus respect for SH, the SH Admins, and the author’s own writing by ensuring their stories are almost always error free. And in case there is ever an error or two found within a story, validated authors are always willing to fix them in a reasonable time frame.

To ask if you are eligible to be a validated author, please submit your name to the forums for review. Further details are available on the forums.

Authors will only become validated authors (VA) if they meet the following qualifications and conditions:

Becoming a VA:

1. Most recent submissions have excelled in SH quality standards.
2. Author updates regularly (at least once every two months).
3. Author is cooperative and timely in working with Admins on any previous errors in stories.

Staying a VA:

1. All stories posted by the VA will be subject to review at any time. If any errors are found, an Admin will email the author the list of concerns, and the VA will make an effort to fix them within a timely manner (two weeks).
2. All Submission Rules are applied to all stories/chapters posted by a VA; the Submission Rules may be updated anytime without notice and will be applied to new stories/chapters posted by the VA.
3. If a story is brought to our attention, we will evaluate the story and decide if the author should retain VA status. If the quality of the author's stories fall, we reserve the right to pull the privilege without notification.
4. VAs who do not post within six (6) months may be removed without notice.

All the conditions set forth above are applied to all SH authors, including SH Admins who are authors.

What are the rules about spoilers?
Rules regarding to spoilers for newly released books are announced at the time of release. Currently, as there are not new books, all stories must be labeled correctly by Canon Compliancy.

VI. More In-depth Site Info“I’d not say no ter summat stronger, mind."*

What if I just read a story that I think is below the quality standards of Sycophant Hex?
Please click on the Report button within the story to inform us of the story. An Admin will look over the story and make a decision from there.

How are stories chosen for 'Featured Stories'?
Stories are chosen by the Admins when a particular story has caught their attention. We certainly encourage readers to submit stories for the 'Featured Stories'. We try to make a conscious effort to not only recognize excellent writing, but to spread out the recognition beyond the most familiar fanfiction authors and also to recognize excellent stories whose authors have significantly improved during their time with SH, or whose contact at the same time with our staff is particularly pleasant on a regular basis. Please realize that some of these ‘significantly improved’ stories may have initial chapters which aren’t quite as ‘polished’ as the later ones. To suggest a Feature Story, please Submit a Helpdesk Ticket with “Featured Story Recommendation" in the subject line.

Can I suggest a new category?
Of course you can make suggestions; just pop into our forums, accessed from the menu. Although we certainly can’t promise to adopt every suggestion, we would love to read about yours and take it into consideration.

What's your privacy policy?
SH does not exchange or sell any personal information of yours, except as provided under our Terms of Use and Submission Rules. We will use your e-mail address internally, but only for purposes of administering the SH story archive. However, please keep in mind that if you make your personal information public in your account on the SH site, anyone can access it and use it for any purposes.

Do you accept affiliates?
Yes, but we have a very limited need to have affiliates and are very selective in who we choose to affiliate with. We look for Affiliates with some type of quality control. We also wish for the Affiliate to have something to do with the types of stories/art we host.

What exactly are SH moderators and administrators?
Moderators oversee specific functions at SH. They generally have the ability to edit posts and delete posts on forums. They can also answer questions, post ideas and moderate discussions in the forums. Administrators are volunteers who screen stories for quality and grammar.

Can I link to a story that is hosted by you?
Yes, we encourage people to spread knowledge around of the stories we host.

Are you looking for any Staff? How can I help Sycophant Hex?
Yes, we are always open to qualified new Admins and Mods---but with that position comes demonstrated, observable trust, and certain mandatory qualifications from our Staff. In working as an Admin we strongly feel a background in English grammar (be it American or British English) is required. At minimum, a strong sense of the language is required, along with the attitude of being always willing to learn. If you are interested, please visit this page for the Admin Exam: http://www.sycophanthex.com/exams/adminapplication.html

To post with Sycophant Hex (SH), all authors must be registered users abiding by our Terms of Service.

To write a story, you will need a word processing program on your computer. Once it is finished have it beta read by a qualified beta reader. A beta reader is some one who checks for plot holes, grammar, and canon facts.

Some possible places to search for a beta are:

- http://forums.sycophanthex.com/ - Visit the Seekers and Keepers for beta services.
- http://www.perfectimagination.co.uk - a directory for beta readers that are tested.

We do not expect perfection from authors (everyone makes mistakes, even Admins), but we do need to get the idea that as an author, you have taken the time and care in editing and having the story beta read by a qualified beta reader. J.K. Rowling has taken liberty with her writing, as fanfic authors we are allowed to do the same. Grammar rules are there to help the reader depict the story in their heads; if the story works well as it is written, it could be considered technically correct even if it is not grammatically correct.

If an author feels a correction is unnecessary please contact the Admins at admins [at] sycophanthex.com, the correction will be looked at closer and a decision will be made.

We have limited staff, therefore we allow up to seven (7) days for validation of any fic unless there is a delay in the validation process.

All chapters from unvalidated authors are individually read and screened for quality by the Admin staff.

The information below is needed when filling out the form to submit a fic to SH.

All stories being submitted to SH should comply with the submission rules below, or contain a note to the Admins explaining why you have deviated for stylistic purposes. Requests for exceptions from the submission rules below are subject to Admin review and approval.

Category: The submission should be placed within the correct category or categories.

Descriptive fields: When filling out the descriptive fields (title, chapter title and summary), use proper English, including correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Summaries must be completed for each submission. As our readers are rather sophisticated, we will return stories to the authors if they have "Erm...I'm really no good at this..." in the summary, or something similar. We strongly recommend writing summaries for each chapter. The summaries should be between one and four sentences.

Classification fields (i.e. Ratings, Warnings, Genres, Canon Compliancy, etc.): Submissions should be marked appropriately for their content. The Admins reserve the right to change these items as necessary.

Alternate Universe: We expect that stories will be canon compliant, that authors are educated about the universe in which they have chosen to write. However, we do understand that to make a story work some things need to be changed or amended. Therefore we expect authors to follow these two simple guidelines that will make it easier for all.

i. It is assumed that stories will be compliant with existing canon at the time of posting. Please select the Canon Compliancy option that best fits your story.

ii. Sometimes to make a story work it needs to change details that were never canon, if this is the case please use the AU options. Then use the Note to Admin option to make any explanations that you feel are necessary and would help us to understand what and why you are doing something without ruining your story for the readers.

Characterization: Stories will be rejected if the canon characters are so OOC (Out Of Character) that they cannot be recognized.

Plot/Story Development: Each chapter will be read to make sure that, at a minimum, it is internally consistent. Readers expect stories to make sense and develop in a steady and coherent fashion. Beta readers are strongly recommended for any problems in plot development and will help any author keep on track.

Language: Our readers are adults; therefore, the language of all submissions must be at an appropriate level. Our readership expects fully developed works of prose or poetry whose style is reasonably sophisticated. Stories using Netspeak, computer chat abbreviations, or (except in dialogue) colloquial language will not be accepted. Also, when writing, it is important to stretch beyond a primary or grammar school level. A variety of words describing scenes or objects makes for a more exciting story and is more likely to grip readers' attention. We also encourage authors to use a broad range of sentence structures.

Resources to thesauruses, which is an excellent way to expand your vocabulary, are listed below.

Grammar: Each chapter is checked for grammar. Infrequent or minor errors will be pointed out to the author during the validation process. However, chapters containing frequent or major errors that in our judgment would distract a reader will not be accepted. Major errors include problems with noun-verb agreement, verb tense, syntax (word order), or usage. In those cases, the writer will receive a letter explaining why the chapter was rejected and advising the use of a beta reader.

i. Punctuation: Correct punctuation--particularly commas, quotation marks, and apostrophes--is a must for acceptance. Infrequent or minor errors will be noted and a letter sent to the writer asking for changes with a probationary validation. Stories with frequent or significant problems in these areas will not be accepted.

ii. Dialogue: Dialogue, grammar, and punctuation, i.e. the way the dialogue is formatted within the text, must be correct for acceptance. Frequent or consistent errors will result in rejection, possibly without the chapter even being read in its entirety. There are very specific rules about the correct formatting of speech. They are as follows:

All spoken dialogue is placed within quotation marks (single quotation marks for British and double quotation marks for American). The attribute (explanation of how the dialogue is spoken) is generally linked to the rest of the sentence thus:

a. "It's a very hot day," panted Hermione. (Note the comma within the quotation marks.)

b. "What did you say?" asked Hermione. (Note the question mark within the quotation marks and the lower case beginning of the attribute.)

c. Severus said, "We did not expect to see you here, Miss Granger." (Note the comma after the attribute and the capital letter introducing the spoken sentence.)

There is only a comma within the dialogue when it is linked to direct speech attribution. If the speech is followed by action, or other descriptor, then there is no comma.

d. Here is an example:

"I hate you!" She glared furiously at him. (Glaring has nothing to do with the act of speaking.)

e. And another example:

"That is all I have to say." She turned away and walked to the door without another word. (Full stop here because there is no speech attribution.)

f. Split dialogue:

"What did you say? Are you telling me," he gasped, "that you are pregnant?" (The second speech fragment begins lower case because the sentence is split.)

g. "What?" he shouted. "You are pregnant? How the hell did that happen?" (The speech attribution separates two complete sentences here.)

h. "Didn't you just hear her; she said 'I'm pregnant'. What is so hard to understand about that?" Harry asked. (The apostrophe around what some one said indicates dialogue from another character being repeated.)

Spelling: Each chapter must be spell checked even if a beta reader has read it. Authors will be notified of corrections needed to only two misspelled words (canon and non-canon words) per two thousand words. If the story contains more than this limit, the submission will be rejected and returned to the author. If the spelling mistake is on purpose (journal entry, speech patterns, and etc), put a note in the Note to Admins and let us know. We will understand. Spell checkers are standard on most computers and if by chance a computer does not have one, spell checkers are available online for free. Variations of British, American, Canadian, and Australian English spelling will be taken into account.

i. Canon spellings: Correct spellings of canon names, places, and objects are crucial for acceptance! Please take the time to read through your chapter before uploading to ensure canon spellings are correct. Names of characters, spells, magical items, and fictional places can be verified in the books, at the Harry Potter Lexicon or the List of Canon Words by SH Staff and added to your spell check program.

ii. Spells: The proper names and incantations of all spells, curses, and hexes should be capitalized. To be consistent with canon, if a potion is not a JK Rowling potion, it should be capitalized if it a specific potion name. It has the option to be in lower case only if it is a type of potion, not a specific potion name. (For example, burn-healing paste and boil cure potion aren't capitalized, but Aging Potion and Blood-Replenishing Potion are capitalized.)

iii. Canon capitalization: Correct capitalization of canon names, places, and objects is important for consistency and easy readability. Incorrect capitalization will be noted for authors during the validation process and must be correct prior to the posting of subsequent chapters.

Length: Chapter length must be at least 500 words if it is a chaptered story. Short one-shot stories and drabbles are allowed to be less but must be at least 100 words.

i. 100 word Challenge Rules: Authors must seek prior approval before submitting 100 word challenge responses. When a challenge is hosted, one person is to gather them; beta read them and submits all of them in one submission so they are combined together. This will allow the queue to move faster and give the reader more stories to read on one page instead of having to search for other 100 word responses from the same challenge.

ii. Poetry: Poetry must contain recognizable parts of the characters if posting in one of the character-focused categories. If it is vague, the Admins have the right to change categories to Chaos, the original works section, for posting. If the poetry is under 100 words we will request another poem be submitted at the same time.

iii. Epilogues: An epilogue is to be at least 300 words and can be a chapter within itself. The epilogues will need to be clearly marked so the Admins can appropriately assess the submission. (This does not include prologues; they still must be 500 words or more.)

Formatting: Proper formatting lets the reader view the story comfortably. Stories must fill the entire width of the page before going to the next line in a paragraph. If stories do not fulfill the requirement they are to be rejected without consideration until the author reformats it correctly and resubmits.

Double spacing between paragraphs and each new line of dialogue is required in order to make stories easier to read. A new line must also be in place when changing character point of view.

i. Author's Notes: The following rules are applied to all author's notes:

a. Author's notes belong in the area provided before and after the story. Author's notes are not to be placed in the story content area.

b. A story may be rejected for offensive or inappropriate author's notes.

c. Author's notes should not be used for private communication to a small group of readers, unless specifically thanking someone for contributions made to the story. They should never be used to reply to reviews. The program has a feature to cover review replies. Discussion groups and review responses are the place for conversations.

d. Author's notes may be used for thanking betas/contributors/readers; flushing out plot bunnies and such; as well as for disclaimers; footnotes/explanations that enhance the story, but detract if done in text.

e. Author's notes are to be for authors only, no additional posts from anyone other than the author.

f. Although we always encourage authors to make their notes as short and concise as possible, author's notes may stretch to a maximum length of half of the chapter/story length. This allows for lengthier notes, but does not allow for shorter stories/chapters with notes longer than they are. Final chapters/epilogues are excluded from the rule and are allowed to stretch to longer than half the length of the chapter/epilogue as they may be used to make final notes about the story.

ii. Scene changes: When changing scenes it is strongly recommended to provide a clear line, preferably a horizontal line a < hr > (an html tag). If using a different method, the lines must not be more than 80% of an 800x600 screen resolution or fifty (50) character spaces across the page; if it exceeds this length, the browser may be forced to provide a horizontal scroll bar (on the bottom of the window) to enable the reader to view the complete story. If this happens, the story will be rejected and the author will be advised to upload correctly.

iii. Footnotes: Footnotes are acceptable and may be placed in the Author's notes at the bottom of the story in the provided area.

Bad Email Address: If a letter is sent to an author for story (chapter) corrections and the letter is returned with a bad email address, the chapter will be taken immediately out of queue/deleted from archive even if already validated, and the author will have to correct the email address or may contact User Help if there are any questions.

Restrictions:

Number of Submissions:

Since we have limited staff we have restrictions on how many submissions can be in the queue and the corrections queue combined at any given time. The following are examples of what make five submissions:

- Five chapters of the same or separate multi-chaptered stories.
- Five separate one-shot stories.
- Three one-shot stories and two chapters of the same or separate multi-chaptered stories.
- Or any other combination that equals five submissions.

If a submission is sent into the correction queue, the subsequent chapters of the same story will be deleted from queue; if the submissions are from a different story they will remain in queue.

Links and URLs: Active links are not allowed within submissions unless they lead to another SH hosted site. URLs may be listed in the appropriate places (Author's notes) if providing reference material directly related to the story. Any other URLs should be listed on the Author Information page.

Underage Sex: No submissions depicting explicit sexual acts for characters below the age of 17 will be allowed, but submissions may reference to sexual acts of those under 17 years of age. Reference to physical or sexual abuse of children under the age of 17 may be included within the story only as required for background information. No graphic details may be included.

Images: We allow up to three images per chapter with the size limit of 400x400 pixels. All images must be fanart (not photo manipulations) or 'letters'. We do not allow any images in the Summary field; if an image is in the summary field the story will be rejected.

Last edited by Metamuse on Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:16 pm; edited 3 times in total_________________MetaMuse
Wannabe Admin, but the other Admins kick me out of the sand box to play with the technical and managerial aspects of the site.

My account over at Occlumency is set to 4-column, and the recent upgrades have rendered the 4-column frame illegible. I would love to return to default mode, but I can't reach the 'your account' button to edit this.

I don't know whether you are aware of this problem, so I wanted to let you know. If you're aware and are fixing it, just disregard; I'll wait happily for resolution.

I'm probably showing my ignorance here, but am I able to use MS Word to post my fic? Or would I have to cut and paste it to a program that is compatible with your system? Also, what is the <Post to Mailing Lists> box for on the submission page? I'm sorry if I seem ignorant; I just want to ensure I'm able to submit when my fic is complete! Thank you!

Three times in a row my stories in the Occlumency queue have been deleted. No email why. I am geting emails from the other SH archives. My email is listed as the same for Occlumency as it is the other archives.

I do not like have to redo the same story 3 times with out any reason why! What gives?

If you would please email the help desk at sh.userhelp at gmail dot com, as the forum boards are not the proper place to discuss this matter, and I will certainly explain the situation to you. I would also suggest that you check your junk mail as our administrators have emailed you in regards to your chapter.